Gauge or tool



June. 2, 1925. 1,539,835

vF. GREEN GAUGE OR TOOL Filed Feb. e. 1925 Patented June 2, 1.925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rami GREEN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAUGE OR TOOL.

Application filed February 6, 1925. Serial No. 7,362.

useful Improvements in a Gauge or Tool,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in tools or instruments for use in the building of structures made principally of concrete, with surfaces thereof finished with a covering of cement or other plastic material, but has particular relation to a device which is especially intended for use in the construction of stairs of plastic material, such as concrete and cement, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and coinbination of the various parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed. n

As is well known, in the above mentioned type of stairs, it is necessary, or at least desirable, in order that the steps thereof may be self-draining, or to prevent the accumulation of water thereon, and the same freezing, said steps shall be inclined from the risers of the stairs, and for the sake of attractiveness and symmetry, t-he inclinations thereof should be uniform, and besides, the slant or inclination to the upper surfaces of the steps must be quickly given while the material thereof is in a plastic state.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a gauge or tool which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, and durable, with its parts so made, arranged, and co-operating with one another as to furnish not only means for readily giving slant or inclination to the upper surfaces of steps, but also for quickly smoothing the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gauge or tool of the above mentioned general character whereby the desired degree of inclination or slant of the upper surface of steps of a stairway can be attained with perfect accuracy and uniformity. Still another object is to provide a gauge or tool which can be folded into compact form and locked in such condition, thus enabling it to be readily carried.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the following description and explanation.

[n the accompanying drawing, which servs to illustrate an embodiment of the in? vention,-

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portio of a stairway showing a gauge or tool in place thereon with its parts aranged for giving a desired slant to the covering or upper surface of one of the steps thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the device in its folded position, and

Fig. 3 is a slightly enlarged bottom plan view of a portion of the device as shown in F ig. 2. p

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts t-hroughoutthe different views of the drawing.

Referring now moreparticularly to Fig. l of the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates as a whole a portion of the stairway of the concrete and cement type, which stairway may be built in the usual or ordinary way, that is, by employment of concrete 6 roughly fashioned into steps, which concrete steps may be supported in the usual or any well known way, and each of which is covered with a layer or coating of cement 7 or similar plastic material for the purpose of giving a smooth finish thereto.

The gauge or tool consists of a base bar 8 Vwhich is made of channel iron and has its channel presented upwardly as is clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawing. The outer end of the bar 8 is provided with a pair of spaced extensions 9 which are slightly upturned as shown in Fig. 2, and have located therebetween one end of a lever bar 10 which is secured to the bar 8 by means of a pivot ll. The bar l0 is also of the chanlnel type with its channel presented downwardly and said bar is of such width as to fit within the channel of the base bar 8 when the parts are folded together as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The bar l0 is provided at its free end with a longitudinally disposed extension l2 which not only affords a handle for the movement of the bar l() but also provides a rest for the device which may sometimes vbe employed. Pivotally secured at its lowr end between the walls of the bar S'at the end thereof tif) 'opposite the pivot 11 is an arm 13 which is provided with a graduated scale indicating any desired dimensions. This arm is extended through a suitable opening 14 in the lever bar 10 at the juncture ,of said bar with its extension 12 and the last named bar may be held in IiXed position with respect to the arm 13 by'means of Ia thumb screw 15 seated in one side of the bar 1.0 in such a way that its inner end will contact with the arm 13.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, .the ends. ofthe walls of vthe chan- Ynellnir adjacent the .arm .13eme bent inwardly towardseach .other yet do not contact With `one another, `which arrangement `will permit-the said inwardly .bent portions of the walls of the channel bar 8 to here# ieeived by .the` recesses v16 With which each .of `the walls of the channel in the bar .10 isprovided nearthe erin 13 Whenthe parts arein their positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and vthus enable the bars 8 and .10 to Vbe .folded together. The bar 10 has mounted thereon and .depending therefrom a thumb YScrew 17 the head Vof which is ,adapted to Yengage the pivotedy end of .the arm 13 when the latter is turned to its folded .position `as shown b dotted linesin Fig. ,2 by; continuous `-nes in Fig. .3, thus locking the bars together.

Asisclearly shown `in the diffe-rent views fof tliedrawinga the -Walls of the lchannel inthe vbar 10 terminate .at their ends adjacent the .opening 14 in said bar, and each provides a shoulder 18 to rest .against the face lof one .of the risers 19 with which the stairway is equipped inl the construction thereof, 'in such a way that the extension 12 or handle of the bar 10 may rest on the Aupper edgeof said riser as is clearlyshown in Fig. .1 of the drawing.

F rom the foregoing, and by reference to the drawing, it will be readily understood .andjclearly seen that v,after the finishingcoat or covering 7 .of plasticmaterial has been 'plaeednon a .stepof the concrete material 6 Land the risers 9 have been positioned .as .shown in Fig. 10i' thedrawing, the desired inclination or slant to be given .theti-nishing materia-l niay be attained'by the use of my .instrument or device in the following manner: The base bar 8 carrying the lever bar 10 and .arm 1,3 assembled about as shown .in Fig. 1, .can be placed near or at one end of the step with one end .of said .base bar resting against or near the lower portion .of the .face vof the upper riser and with the other end of said har overhanging Vthe `lower riser. Now, assuming that .the parts have been .adjusted with respect to .one anotherto give 1the desired inclination .to the upper 'surface of thestep andthat the lever har 10 slield inxed position with respect to the arm .-113 4by the .set screw V15, it is manifest that the shoulders 18 near the extenw sion 12 of the lever bar Will rest against the upper portion of the face of the upper riser, thus acting as Ia guide, .when itis manifest thatby sliding the balise` bar 8 town-mds the opposite end of the step from its position shown in Fig. 1, the plasticl finish cementor material will 'be rendered' smooth and any excessof such material scraped oil' in the movement of the base bar .8 of the device.

To prevent the plastic materiall entering the upwardly presented channel of the base bar 8, a blockorpiece of Wonderany the said .edge of thesaidriser. YBy moving the free endV or portion of .theilever .bar downwardly on .the arm. 13.,.it is manifest that inclination of thebsae bar will ihe increased and iby moving .it upward-1y, said inclination will diminished.

,Having thus fully described my` invention,

whatl claimns new anddesire to secnrehy Letters Patent is: v .Y

l. Inga device of .the classdescrihed, the combination with a bese bar, :of a levier har pivotally mounted ,at one of its .ends onone endv of said .base .bar and haring near its other end lan opening, .an anni movably extended through said openingand pivotall secured to said base barnear itsother `en and co-operatirlgmemis on said arm .andthe lever bar `for holding themin fixed relation to one another.

Y2. In .a device of the class described, .the combination ,with Aa channeled base bar, of .a channeled lever bar pivotally vconnectetil at one of its ends tolone end of said base bar with its channel presented towards the latter, saidV lever bar having vnear .its free end a shoulderfor stop member and near the saine an opening, an Aarm pivotally secured tosaid base-barnear its -otherend and movably extended throiigh said opening, ,and ya Vset screw intersecting said opening and .carried by said lever bar.

3. In a device of the yclass described, `the .combination with a channeled base lbar having at one of its lends .the walls .of said channel inclined Atowards each other, said bar presenting its .channel upwardly, of a channelled lever har .pivots/ily connected at one of its ends to theylbase ,bar near .its end opposite the said inclined wall portions-and presenting its channel .toward the base jbar, 1'30 p said lever bar having at its free end alzandle or extension and provided with a deon said arm andthe l'ever bar for holding pending shoulder or stop member and near them in ixed relation to one another, and a said stop member an opening, an arm pvset screw mounted on and depending from 10 otally secured to said base bar between the the lever bar at a point near the pivoted end inclined portions of the Walls of its chanof said arm When the parts are folded tonel and movably extended through said gether.

opening in the lever bar, co-operating means FRED GREEN. 

